COAL ASH

139 East Fourth Street

Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Phone (513) 421-9500

Material Safety Data Sheet

Section 1. PRODUCT INFORMATION
PRODUCT NAME:

COAL ASH

CHEMICAL DESCRIPTION:

Inorganic Oxides (varying from fused or vitrified to fine granular solid)

PRODUCT CLASS:

Boiler Slag, Bottom Ash, or Fly Ash from Coal Combustion

Section 2. INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS

CAS
Number

% by
weight

Silicon dioxide,SiO2,
fused amorphous

60676-86-0

Aluminum oxide, Al2O3

OSHA PEL (mg/M3)

ACGIH TLV (mg/M3)

40 - 60

10/(%SiO2+2) resp. dust

30/(%SiO2+2) total dust

0.1 ((respirable)

1344-28-1

15 - 30

15 total dust
5 resp. dust

10

Iron oxide, Fe2O3, dust

and fume, as Fe

1309-37-1

5 - 35

10

Titanium dioxide, TiO2

12137-20-1

1-3

15 total dust

10

Calcium oxide, CaO

1305-78-8

1-3

Potassium hydroxide, KOH

1310-58-3

1-3

none established

2 (ceiling)

Sulfur trioxide, SO3

7446-11-9

0-1

none established

none established

Water

7732-18-5

<1 - 20

none established

none established

Chemical Name

Section 3. HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

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CAUTION! Prolonged contact with the skin may cause irritation.
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CAUTION! Contact with wet skin may cause severe irritation.
7 Prolonged contact with
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Eye contact can cause severe irritation or conjunctivitis.
7 Prolonged contact with
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Inhalation of dust may irritate the throat or lungs.
7 Prolonged contact with
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Long-term overexposure may reduce pulmonary function.
7 Prolonged contact with
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Revision Date: 01-Apr-1999

7
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Cinergy Corporation

Material Safety Data Sheet

Coal Ash

Section 3. HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION (Continued)

PRIMARY ROUTES OF ENTRY:
TARGET ORGANS:
MEDICAL CONDITIONS:
(AGGRAVATED BY EXPOSURE)

Inhalation of dust. Eye and skin contact. Ingestion of dust.

Eyes, skin, mucous membranes, lungs, kidney, liver, and blood.
Individuals with pre-existing conditions of emphysema or asthma may experience
respiratory irritation from breathing dust. Skin conditions or dermatitis may be
aggravated by contact with this material.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS:

EYE CONTACT: Contact with eyes may cause irritation resulting in conjunctivitis.
SKIN CONTACT: Prolonged contact may result in minor irritation, mild reddening, or skin rash depending on the
sulfur trioxide content. SO3 reacts vigorously with water (or sweat) to form hydrosulfurous acid.
INGESTION: Ingestion of this product may cause diarrhea or irritation of the mucous membranes of the mouth,
throat, esophagus and stomach.
INHALATION: Dust may cause respiratory irritation or fibrosing alveolitis (growth of fibrous tissue in the lung).
ACUTE/CHRONIC: Short-term exposure can produce dermatitis (skin inflammation), horny growths on the skin,
conjunctivitis, and diarrhea. Long-term exposure to fly ash in extremely dusty environments (above the OSHA
PEL) may result in pathology of the nerves in the extremities, blood-forming effects such as anemia,
gastrointestinal irritation/colic, and cancer of the skin, liver, and lungs.
CARCINOGENICITY:

NTP: No

IARC: Yes (SO3) OSHA: No

Section 4. FIRST AID MEASURES

EYE CONTACT: In case of contact, flush eyes for 15 minutes. Seek medical aid to ensure foreign matter is removed.
SKIN CONTACT: Avoid skin contact with fly ash. Wash skin thoroughly after exposure ceases.
INHALATION: Move victim to a dust-free environment. Support breathing as necessary.
INGESTION: Do not induce vomiting. Consult a physician.
Section 5. FIRE FIGHTING MEASURES
FLASH POINT: None.

EXTINGUISHING MEDIA: None required.

LOWER FLAMMABLE LIMIT: None.

FIRE-FIGHTING INSTRUCTIONS: None required.

AUTO-IGNITION TEMERATURE: None.

FIRE & EXPLOSION HAZARDS: None.

DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS: None.

NFPA RATINGS:

Health = 1

Flammability = 0

Scale: 0 = Normal material

Reactivity = 0

1 = Slightly hazardous

2 = Hazardous

Special Hazard = None

3 = Extremely dangerous

4 = Deadly

Section 6. ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES

STEPS TO BE TAKEN IF MATERIAL IS SPILLED OR RELEASED: Dispose of as conventional waste suitable for a
municipal landfill.
Section 7. HANDLING AND STORAGE
HANDLING: No special requirements.
STORAGE: No special requirement; material is chemically and thermally stable.

Revision Date: 01-Apr-1999

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Cinergy Corporation

Material Safety Data Sheet

Coal Ash

Section 8. EXPOSURE CONTROLS / PERSONAL PROTECTION

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT:
EYE/FACE PROTECTION: Use safety goggles if handling dry powder.
SKIN PROTECTION: Use coveralls and gloves to avoid skin contact with coal ash.
RESPIRATORY PROTECTION: Use a NIOSH-approved, high-efficiency, air-purifying respirator for dusty
environments that exceed 10 mg/m3 total dust.
ENGINEERING CONTROLS: Local exhaust or general dilution ventilation.
WORK PRACTICES: Do not blow down with compressed air or dry sweep. Use only a HEPA-filtered vacuum. Use wet
methods or sweeping compound to minimize dust generation.
Section 9. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
BOILING POINT: Not applicable.

SOLUBILITY IN WATER: Moderate.

VAPOR PRESSURE: Not applicable.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY (Apparent density): 2.2 - 2.8 g/cm3

VAPOR DENSITY: Not applicable.

pH: Varies from acidic to basic dependent upon coal source.

%VOLATILE BY WEIGHT: 0

FREEZING POINT: Not applicable.

APPEARANCE AND ODOR: Fly ash consists of minute glass spheres with some crystalline matter and varying amounts
of unburned carbon. It ranges in color from light tan or light gray to almost black depending on the proportions of
carbon and iron. Bottom ash is a granular material similar to fine concrete aggregate (concrete sand). It ranges in
color from a medium brown or medium gray to almost black. Boiler slag is granular and angular with particle size
similar to bottom ash. Slag is shiny black in color and its form resembles crushed coal or black glass. No odor.
Section 10. STABILITY AND REACTIVITY
CONDITIONS TO AVOID: None.

DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS: None.

INCOMPATABILITY: None.

HAZARDOUS POLYMERIZATION: Will not occur.

CHEMICAL STABILITY: Stable under normal temperature and pressures.

Section 11. TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
ON PRODUCT: Minor skin irritation (prolonged contact), conjunctivitis, and diarrhea.
ON INGREDIENTS:
Chemical Name
Crystalline silica, fused
Aluminum oxide
Iron oxide
Titanium dioxide
Calcium oxide
Potassium hydroxide
Sulfur trioxide

Revision Date: 01-Apr-1999

ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION
Oral

Dermal (LD50)

Inhalation (TCLo)

Not available
Not available
Not available
Not available
Not available
273 mg/kg
Not available

Not available
Not available
Not available
300 ug/3D-Mild
Not available
1 mg/24H rinse-Mod.
Not available

197 mg/m3 (rat)

Not available
500 ug/m3 (rat)
250 ug/m3 (rat)
Not available
Not available
30 mg/m3 (human)

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Cinergy Corporation

Material Safety Data Sheet

Coal Ash

Section 12. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Aquatic Toxicity: Testing on ash ponds consistently show the effluent to not be acutely toxic in 100% effluent for
Ceriodaphnia dubia (water flea) and Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow).
Environmental Fate:

Nearly all ash is inert upon release to the environment and would be deposited in the sediment.
Less than 1% of ash would be dissolved in the water column.

Environmental Toxicity: When handled and disposed of properly, coal ash does not present an environmental threat.
Section 13. DISPOSAL CONSIDERATIONS
RCRA STATUS: This material is not a RCRA listed hazardous waste nor does it exhibit any hazardous waste
characteristics.
DISPOSAL: Dispose of in a manner consistent with federal, state, or local laws and regulations.
Section 14. TRANSPORT INFORMATION
D.O.T. CLASSIFICATION: Not applicable; not a D.O.T. hazardous material.
Section 15. REGULATORY INFORMATION
TSCA: Not applicable.
CERCLA: Contains no known hazardous substances.
SARA TITLE III:
Section 302 Extremely Hazardous Substances: None at or above de minimis concentrations.
Section 311/312 Health and Physical Hazards: Delayed (chronic) health hazard from long-term inhalation of dust.
Section 313 Toxic Chemicals: None at or above de minimis concentrations.
Section 16. OTHER INFORMATION
HMIS RATINGS:

Health = 1

Flammability = 0

Hazard rating scale:

0 = Minimal

Reactivity = 0
1 = Slight
2 = Moderate

Personal Protection = B = Safety glasses + gloves

3 = Serious
4 = Severe

While this information and recommendations set forth herein are believed to be accurate as of the date hereof,
CINERGY CORPORATION MAKES NO WARRANTY WITH RESPECT HERETO AND DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY FROM RELIANCE THEREON.

PREPARED BY:

Mark T. Nutter, CIH, CSP, Occupational Hygienist

Patrick C. Coyle, Sr. Environmental Scientist
Randall P. Born, Sr. Environmental Scientist
James J. Stieritz, Sr. Environmental Scientist

Revision Date: 01-Apr-1999

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